Gun-carriage.



2 Sheets-$heel l.

Wl V, f A E No. ssa'l-s.

V PatentedDec. 5, [899. W. H. BEVNS.

GUN CARRIAGE.

pplication filed Feb. 2; 1899.)

(No Model.)

Quizz/6556;.-

No. 638,3l3. Ptented Dec. 5, |899.

W H. BEVNS.

GUN cAmAGE. (Application filed Feb. 2, 1899.)

ma model.) 2 sheets-sheet 2.

i recoilresisting construction.

,YILLIAM l-I. BEVANS, OF vVASHlNG-TON: DSTRH/T OF CCiifilliliifi, j

T() THE AMERCN ORDNANC E COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

JATIGN for@` Applica vented certain new and nseiui mproveznen i in Gnnarriages 5 end i do here by de" i'oilowing to be a uil, einer, and exact tion of the invention, suc-ii as will enabie o'tiiers skilled in the art to wnicii it eppertains to nd 'use tbe same. invention rela-tes to isngn'm'enients in eularly moans for ely preventing i; e "eeeiiing and ,in ing 'ci ine carriage caused by the sheet; lnci4 c the recoiliue of the gun when the saine iii-eti.

invention is particularly adapted for iieid-carriages when mounted behind para pets, when it is necessary to provide seine means for preventing the recoiling and jumpinb .if 'l5-lie carriage and at the same tiene permitting it to be readily inoved in horizontal piane to faciiitate the aiming or" tbe gun,-

ine construction employed being capable of ready attachment to the carriage, so that the iatter may ce quickly secured upon the platforni in a substantially iinrnovabl'y fixed position during the iiring of tllegun. Owing to the intense shock attending the recoiling of the gun the construction for preventing tlie recoil movement of the carriage, in order to be effective, must be capable of withstanding a great amount of strain.

While i have 'llustreed nay invention in the present instance as applied to e field-carriage, it will be apparent to those skilled in Cnc art that it could be applied Without rnaterial change to other forms of wheeled can riages, suoli as siege and fortress carriages.

The invention consists in the details 0i" construction .'liich will be fully described hereinafter,l particularly pointed out in the claims, and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing a eld-carriage mounted upon a platform and provided with my improved Fig. 2 is a front elevation, partlyjn section. Fig.. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view showing a portion of the trail and the trail-retaining device.

, 'i' of Leiters 'e,

tiie eye el? this ber bar is adj usted so tnat Y of tbe ear inge is bronglit di center tbe pivot or stud. The ree i .A the bar may be sw ung upwardly and secu to the carriage by any suitable device the carriage is used in. the .fieifi 'ji constitutes a holdbacit for preventing ceiling et the carriage when tbe nur A eolar F is freely movable 'einen on shoulders ci the pivot and is termed wir emily-projecting perforated ears G on site sides of its center. A. suitable n the threaded end of the pivot or stud i said collar and bar in proper positientberecn. Holddown-rods H are formed at their f with eyes,whici1 engage, respect-ively7 Iforated ears Gf and eyes formed in el@ clips I, detachably secured to the am at eqnidistant points on opposite sid c. ci tw center of the axle. These rods il are formed. in secticns,znaving thciizoppcsite ends read ed and connected by turnbuckles J, that the rods may be adjusted to event npr/arti movement of the carriage. i, sie washers K are interposed between eoiiar a securing-nut, a sent being rievided in the upper end of said collar to :ive the s and constitute a cushion to reduce the fnocir and the strain upon the holddoWn-rocs when the gun is tired. It will be readily und-exstood that the compression of these frs is very slight,and While by their use very eilvantageous and effective construction is pro vided, yet by actual test of the nolddown de vice it has been found that *"icj; may ne omitted and the effectiveness' of tne ccnstrnetion not in any way impaired, the holddown device being substantially rigid. I do not, therefore, desire to limit myself to the useof Washers or any similar buffer, as they are not essential. A

Embedded in the platform or foundation beneath the trail-piece or trail-tread of the carriage when the latter is in position behind the parapet is a plate L, havin g formed therein a rearwardly and downwardly inclined slot M, which is formed on the arc of a circle drawn with the pivot or stud as the center. The

' usual spadeN, carried by the trail-piece, en-

gages and moves in this'slot and is prevented by the upper wall.thereof from disengaging the same by upward movement. This plate assists the bar C in preventing recoiling of the carriage and also prevents upward movement ofthe trail-piece.

From the above description it will be seen that I have provided an exceedingly strong and eective construction for preventing the recoiling and jumping of the carriage during the firing of the'gun and have provided said construction adjustable and in addition theret-o a cushion for reducing the shock and strain upon the recoil-restraining construction.

It Jill `be apparent that slight changes and modi cations might be made in the construction hereinbefore described without departing from the spirit.- and scope of any-invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. The combination with a wheeled gunca'rriage pivotally mounted upon a platform, of means for movably securing the trail to the platform at a point independent of and in rear lof the pivotal point of the carriage, so as to prevent vertical movement of the trail but .permit the same to swing in a horizontal plane, substantially aes-described.

2. The combination with a wheeledguncarriage, of meansfor pivoting the same vntpon a platform, and means for directly connecting the trail-tread to the platform, so as to prevent vertical movement of the trail-tread but permitting the same to swing in a horizontal plane, substantially as described.

8. The combination with a wheeled gun- Vcarriage, pivotally mounted upon a platform and having the trail thereof carrying a projection, of a fixed plate formed with a slot receiving said projectibnu'and retaining the same so as tovprevent Vertical movement of the'trail but permitting the same to swing in a horizontal plane, substantially as described.

4; The combination with a wheeled gun= carriage and an emplacement-platform, of a holddown-rod connected at one end-to said carriage, and means for pivotally connecting the opposite end of said holddown-rod'to the platform, substantially as described'.

5. The combination with' a wheeled gunca-riage pivotally mountedfupon a platform, andthe trail-spade, of a plate carried bythe platform andformed with a retaining-slot adtpted tolreceive said vspade and pi'cvex'it vert-ical movement of the trail; but permit the same to move in a horizontal' plane, sub! stantially as described.

6. The combination with a gun-.carriage and an emplacement stud or pivot, of an ad'- justable. holddown-rod' pvotally connecting said carriage and stud,and a recoil-resisting device pivotally connecting the carriage-trail andv saidstu'd, substantially as described.

7. The combination with a gun-carriage and an emplacement stud or pivot, of a col- A lar rotatable on said stud, holddoWn-rods conin' presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM `H. BEVANS. Witnesses:

J. HENRY GULICK, THos. B. HUYCK. 

